The EC that was eager to talk with the political parties even amid the ban on indoor politics, has now taken a stance of waiting for completion of reforms within the parties.

"Reforms within the political parties are to be completed first. If we invite a political party before the reforms are done, who will represent the party?" Election Commissioner Muhammed Sohul Hussain told reporters.

"If we hold any discussion in such a situation, it will be with individuals, not with the parties. So, we will sit in dialogue with them once they complete their reforms," he said.

The EC would take decision considering the political situation after lifting or relaxing the ban on indoor politics, Election Commissioner Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain told The Daily Star last night.

"Noticing hesitation in some political parties over the intra-party reforms, we are still undecided about who to call and who not to," he said.

The political parties will have to take a shape through the reforms, Election Commissioner Sohul said when asked whether the EC will hold discussion with the political parties if the government lifts the embargo on indoor politics now.

The EC, which had been waiting for the last three months for the withdrawal of the ban on indoor politics to sit in dialogue with the parties, yesterday came up with its new stance at a time when the government is considering relaxing the embargo on indoor politics 'for the sake of reforms in the parties'.

Dissident leaders of the BNP, Awami League and Jatiya Party (Ershad), who are set to bring 'radical reforms' within their parties, have been holding meetings and discussions ignoring the ban on all sorts of political activities with an apparent support of the interim administration.

Pro-reforms leaders have started announcing proposals for party reforms while following pressures from within and outside the party, HM Ershad on Saturday quit as Jatiya Party chairman and appointed barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud as the acting chief until the party's next council.

Political analysts think Ershad's announcement will have an effect on Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina -- heads of two major political parties BNP and Awami League -- to take decision in the wake of the changing political situation.

Analysts also hint at some 'dramatic' political development by mid-July following completion of a framework for political reforms.

The government also plans to relax the restriction on indoor politics paving the way for holding the political parties' national council to implement proposals by the 'pro-reform' leaders.

The EC on April 5 unveiled a set of proposals for electoral reforms including the one for registration of political parties to ensure 'practice of democracy' and 'financial transparency' with the parties and announced that it would be finalised through consultation with the political parties.

The chief election commissioner on April 4 at a meeting with the law adviser asked the government to lift the ban on indoor politics allowing the EC to hold talks with the political parties on reform proposals.

Following no response from the government for over three months, the EC last week announced that any political parties could sit with the EC to discuss the draft proposals for electoral reforms by sending representatives despite the embargo on indoor politics.

But the initiative failed apparently due to the political parties' unwillingness to sit in talks amid the ban on politics.